Mateusz Gamrot can’t wait to get his hands on Charles Oliveira.
In a short-notice opportunity, Gamrot (25-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC) will enter his third UFC main event, filling in for Rafael Fiziev at UFC Fight Night 261 at Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The task appears daunting on paper, as he gets former champion Oliveira, who has never lost on home soil.
With 16 submission wins under his belt in the UFC, Oliveira is one of the most feared grapplers in the sport. Speaking with MMA Junkie ahead of the matchup, Gamrot was asked if he would be willing to meet “Do Bronx” on the mat.
“Of course bro, he tapped like almost nine times in the UFC,” Gamrot said. “So, I see holes on the ground, and I always represent wrestling style in the cage. So, it’s gonna be fireworks from the beginning, high pace, and I really can’t wait to exchange submissions with him. Long time I try to get a fight with him because (he’s) one of the greatest, one of the most dangerous guys on the planet.
“This was my dream, when I signed contract with the UFC. I want to challenge with the guys like Charles Oliveira or the biggest names. So, (I’m) more than ready, bro. Super excited. This is going to be a great show.”
Gamrot started off his 2025 campaign with a unanimous decision win over Ludovit Klein in May, which followed a thin split decision loss against Dan Hooker at UFC 305 last August. He’s kept himself fight-ready, which made the opportunity to fill in an easy decision, even if it is in hostile territory against one of Brazil’s legends.
“Me vs. all of Brazil,” Gamrot said. “I know that, I expect that it’s gonna look like that, but this gives me more motivation and more power. When the doors to the cage close, it’s gonna be one vs. one. And of course, the crowd can help the referee to give the points to who win the rounds, but I don’t think this fight is gonna be full distance. So, the crowd can help Charles, but I’m gonna enjoy this.
“I like being in enemy territory. I remember when I fought with Arman Tsarukyan, this was the same. I was walking out to the cage, and I only saw Armenian flags, but this really gave me more motivation and power to make quiet the arena.”
“Gamer” knows that a win here would be significant for his placement in the lightweight division, but he doesn’t think it will be enough to get a title shot. Gamrot anticipates he’ll be one or two more fights away, but for now, it’s about handling business against Oliviera first, and he expects to win the fight in spectacular fashion.”Submission, KO, maybe five rounds, we’ll see,” Gamrot said. “Charles never fought five rounds, so we’ll see how his conditioning is good, but I know for sure that my hand is gonna go up.
